


Fixing the Mess

by Eruva



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Establishing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, static quake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5052439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eruva/pseuds/Eruva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy wants to fix the mess made by ACTU trying to take Lincoln in. She has a plan, but will need Coulson's help, a couple of days off; and most importantly, Lincoln still trusting her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s early when Coulson calls her into his office, too early to her, at least. She’s gripping a mug of coffee like it’s her life line, and she’s already frustrated and angry from the way things haven’t been going in their favor lately. As she walks down the halls, her mind keeps drifting back to Lincoln. She wonders how he’s doing, if he’s ok. She’s been wondering a lot of different things lately. Right now, she’s mostly what’s in store for her when she gets to Coulson’s office. 

 

She knocks on the door, and hears a “come in,” before she pushes the door open slowly. “You wanted to see me sir?” She asks. 

  

“Yes, come in Daisy.” He replies, putting down the file that was in his hand.

  

She doesn’t feel like pretending to be in a great mood, or that everything is fine. Usually, she’d be fine with doing so, but it’s early and she hasn’t had her three cups of coffee yet. She sits down non-so-gently on the sofa in front of his table and clutches her mug tighter. “What’s going on?” 

  

“I understand that working with the ATCU is difficult for you, but this can’t work if you keep resisting and undermining our attempts at making this all work,” clearly he’s been thinking about this as much as she has, because the next thing he says is “what do I need to do to make this work?” 

  

“Look, I understand why you did what you did. I know that you agreed to let them take Lincoln to keep me safe. But Lincoln was there for me when no one else was, in a way that no one else could have been. He helped my transition to into being inhuman. How to control my powers, and he taught me not to hate what had happened to me.” She’s been struggling with her story, but she takes a deep breath. “When I got to Afterlife, I was a mess. I was so angry, and frustrated. In a way, I felt so lost, not knowing my place on the team, or if I was still on the team. You all saw what happened, I ended up harming myself trying to deal with everything that happened with me. He was there for me and showed me that having powers wasn’t a curse. I needed someone to be there to listen to me, as I dealt with my problems and Lincoln was that for me, he was my life line.”

  

“Skye— Daisy, I understand that,” Coulson starts, but she quickly cuts him off. 

  

“Sir, the things is I don’t trust the ATCU, we don’t know anything about them, and they haven't given us anything yet. If you want me to be comfortable working with them, I need something too. They were after me too remember?” 

 

“I’m listening,” he looks at her hesitantly. 

  

“I want Lincoln’s name cleared. Hold a press conference, put it in the papers, on the internet, whatever. Find someone else to pin it on. He deserves not to have to constantly be looking over his shoulder. We owe it to him after this. If he wants nothing to do with us, and wants to find a job at another hospital, I want it to be possible for him. I want it in writing, or something, that Lincoln is to be left alone by shield and by the ATCU, and anyone else who comes along later. He’s well adjusted, he won’t cause anyone any trouble as long as he’s left alone. If he does want to work with us still, I want to be the one to reach out to him; just me, no one else. I owe it to him, after everything he’s done for me, I need to make sure he’s safe.” She finishes looking up at him, hoping that he can understand. 

 

He looks over at her with heavy eyes, “I’ll see what I can do. I make no promises, but if I say it will by your corporation, maybe the ATCU will grant us this.” 

 

“Thank you Coulson,” she offers him a small smile, hopeful, wanting to trust him with Lincoln’s safety. “Alright, what’s on the schedule for today?” 

 

“As of right now, just more on going research, and picking more potential candidates for your team.” 

  

“Ok,” she replies as she gets up from her sofa, walking slowly out the door with a final wave over her shoulder. 

 

* * *

  

After walking back to the kitchen for a quick coffee refill, she gets back to the her bunk to get to her work for the day. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, and checking to see if she’d gotten a response from her earlier message sent to Lincoln. 

  

_Lincoln, I’m so sorry._

_I didn’t know that this would have happened._

_They said if they didn’t take you in, they’d take me,_

_and Coulson made his call. I’m so sorry._

_Please just let me know that you’re safe._

_I meant what I said, and if by chance you’re still_

_willing to work with us. I’ll come get you._

_Just me. Just, let me know you’re ok._

_Please?_

 

It’s a long and rambly text, but somehow it hopefully gets what she wanted to say out there. She sent it the minute she had a moment free after he left them after the ATCU mess, hoping that he hadn’t ditched his phone yet. The silence makes her nervous, but then again, she wouldn’t expect anything less, after shield betraying him. 

  

She pushes it out of her mind, as best as she can, before picking up her stack of files in hopes of finding someone else who could, would, join their team. 

 

* * *

 

It’s the middle of the damn night when she gets the call she’s been waiting for. She doesn’t even glance at the screen when she gets woken up by her phone’s loud ringing, just reaches for it and answers the call. “Lincoln, please tell me this is you,” she whispers, groggily. 

 

“I’m safe,” he replies. He sounds exhausted, she notes. 

 

“I’m so sorry,” she starts, “I didn’t know things would go the way they did.” 

 

“Don’t, Daisy, it's, fine. Well not fine, but, you know,” he seems to understand she wishes he’d just be angry. Instead he just sounds tired, like he knows how things are going to go for him now. 

 

“What are you thinking?” She asks him the silence has lasted just a little too long. 

 

“Nothing,” he sighs, “tell me about you, you get out ok? I mean, I guessed so because you texted.” 

 

“I’m fine, we’ve been good here, if not a little busy. I’m trying to work on something with the ATCU to get them off your back. I talked to Coulson, they’ll get it all sorted and you’ll be in the clear. I could make you vanish if that’s what you’d like. Just tell me what I can do.” She’s waking up more now, but she’s still feeling like she’s failing in describing what she could do to help fix their mess.

  

“I don’t know, Daisy, I don’t know.” He says through a yawn. 

  

“Do you want help getting your feet back under you?” She asks, voice filled with hesitation, she’s not sure if she’s allowed to ask after all of this. “Coulson owes me some days off, and I can help you disappear the way I once did.” 

 

“I think,” he starts, and there’s silence for a bit. She holds her breath hoping that he still trusts her. “Maybe, I don’t know Skye. I don’t know what to do right now.” 

  

“How about this, take your time, decide, then text me a place and time and I’ll be there with everything you’d need to disappear or whatever it is you want to do.” She smiles as she talks, happy that he seems to be trusting her.

 

“Deal,” he says voice sounding happy as he replies. “So tell me how things are.” He whispers. 

  

She shifts so she's lying back down in her bed, cradling her phone to her ear. She begins to tell him about how things have been, small insignificant things, guessing he just needed to listen to mindless chatter. She’s missed being able to talk to him, being able to hear him, reassure him that things are going to be ok. Remembering the look on his face when she last saw him, she asks him for anything he’s willing to tell him. He doesn’t say much, but in that moment it’s enough. She reassured slightly, that he’s doing ok.

  

When she wakes up in the morning, her phone is lying beside her on the pillow. She smiles as she remembers that Lincoln is doing well enough for now. 

 

* * *

 

Coulson calls her into his office again, a couple days later. He doesn’t say anything as she enters, just points at the TV where Rosalind Price is holding a press conference. It’s a short thing, straight to the point. They manage to spin it like the two inhumans they found killed by Lash the other day had been the ones that had attacked the hospital. Saying that they were injured when they entered the hospital trying to get medical help. When they were met with hostile attitudes after they sought help, one thing lead to another, and in their panic the two had fought back. 

  

The conference ended with them stressing that the previous suspect, Lincoln, had nothing to do with the attack. Officially the story was that he was the only doctor that had been willing to help the injured inhumans, which resulted in suspicion, but it was his job to help anyone that entered the hospital injured after all. Stressed was placed repeatedly on him being innocent, and cleared of all charges, and an apology issued for any stress the accusation might have caused. It's something, she thinks.

  

“You got them to do it,” Daisy said looking at Coulson. “Thank you Coulson.” 

  

“It was the right thing to do,” he replied, offering her a small smile. 

 

She left the room, pulling out her phone as she went. Firing a quick text off to Lincoln with a smile. 

 

_Check the news._

 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

 

It’s a couple days later when she wakes up to a text from an unknown number.

 

_I think I promised you pizza once in Afterlife._

_Noon, day after tomorrow,_

_in front of the library downtown from the place the pizza_

_was meant to be from._

 

 

She’s smiling as she sets her phone back down and gets ready for her day. Seems like Lincoln is willing to trust her. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she walks over to Coulson’s office. “Coulson?” She asks, as she knocks on his office door. 

 

A minute later, the door opens and she’s greeted with Coulson. “Daisy?” He ushers her in, before sitting down behind his desk. “You’ve got that look on your face, the one that usually follows with you saying something that makes my life more difficult.” 

 

She smiles at him, “because I’m going to?” He looks frustrated for a moment, before a look of defeat crosses his face. “Lincoln made contact,” she tells him. Offering him a small smirk, she takes a sip of her coffee as she waits to gauge his reaction.

 

“That’s great, but I’m assuming that’s not why you came in here.” 

 

“How possible is it for me to get two full days off to go see him?” She asks hopeful. “I know it’s not normal protocol, or whatever. The thing is that he trusts me and only me, which I think we both understand. I think he might still want to join us, but,” she leaves it at that, not sure what else to say to get him to let her do what she wants. 

 

“Alright,” he looks resigned. 

  

“Really?” She’s surprised “Just like that?” 

  

“If I said no, I’m sure you’d find a way to sneak out on your own.” He buries his face in his hands. 

  

She tilts her head slightly to the side and smiles, “you know me too well. I’ll check in everyday, but I’m turning off my shield phone while I’m gone. Just in case he it’s still hard for him to trust me.” 

 

“You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?” He’s not surprised at all.

 

 “Of course I have, old habits and tricks, remember? I’m good at hiding and disappearing into the background. After all that’s how I evaded getting caught for so long before I joined the team.” 

 

“True.” He looks at her and nods, “alright, you can go, but if anyone asks, it’s only because I’m sure you’ll be able to get Lincoln to join us.” 

  

“And if I can’t?” She asks, the question she’s been dreading to ask since this mess started. It’s terrifying for her to wait for the answer. 

 

“I promised you he’d be left alone,” he offers her the best calm supportive expression he can. “I hope this works out how you want it to Daisy.” 

  

She stands up and walks to the door, “me too.” She whispers as she leaves to her room. 

 

* * *

 

Two days later, she’s putting the last of her things for the trip into a duffle. She’d hesitated while packing the night before, no idea what exactly to bring on a trip like this. It ended with her unable to sleep half the night, pulling things out and putting other things in her bag. In one hand she’s holding her shield phone, and in the other she’s got a burner phone left over from her hacking days. Her past did come in handy, she guessed, it made her obsessive compulsive when it came to needing to have an escape plan. Today she’s glad she kept her exit pack from when she first joined the team. She’s packed it at the bottom of her trip bag. If Lincoln wanted it, she figured he could have it.

 

She walks down the hall to the hangar, May was flying her to the Chicago airport, compromises and such. Walking in she sees Coulson waiting by the plane. “Be safe,”he tells her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she walks past him to get to the quinjet. “Call us if you need anything, or if you get in trouble. Check in once a day.” 

 

“Yes, dad,” she says, voice full of sarcasm. “You know I’ll be fine, I can take care of myself.” 

  

“I’m allowed to worry after all the crazy,” he tells her as she walks away from him onto the jet. She puts her bag down, getting ready to join May in the cockpit. “And Daisy,” he calls after her. 

  

“Yeah?” She asks him looking over her shoulder. 

  

“Try to have some fun.” He says with a smile and a wave goodbye. “You deserve sometime off with someone who knows what you’re going through.”

 

“Thanks Coulson,” she calls at her with a wave back. 

  

When she walks up to May to say thanks for flying her, she’s met with May’s standard blank stare. Already having had an idea this flight would be silent beyond all means, she pulls out a book from her back pocket and begins to read. At least she’s on her way now. 

 

* * *

 

May drops her off at the airport with a reminder not to do anything stupid, and to check in when she’s meant to. As Daisy walks through the airport terminals to get to the L, she thinks about what exactly her plan is. The train she hops on is quiet, mid week means it’s almost empty. She settles in for the long ride into town. Disabling her shield phone and slipping it back into her bag, she’s glad she remembered to text Lincoln her new number. While she waits for the train to get her where she needs to go, she books a reasonable hotel to stay at on her phone. Making a reservation for two seemed like the best plan. If it turns out that Lincoln has already figured out a place to stay, it’s not like the extra room won’t be nice; if not she can always offer.

 

Soon she’s caught in her own thoughts as she stares out the window of the train. It’s weird and relaxing for her to be away from shield and all the noise that comes with it. She’s gotten so used to all the commotion that she’s almost unnerved by the silence. The gentle sway of the train relaxes her. She lets out a sigh, and tries to run over things she wants to say to Lincoln. She’s still unsure by the time she hears the operated announce that the next stop is hers. 

 

Having had spent some time here before, she’s glad he chose Chicago. It’s been a while, but she still remembers how to get to the Harold Washington Library downtown from the airport on the Blue Line. As she walks to where they’re meeting, she starts to feel a little nervous. It wasn’t like there was a guidebook written for moments like these, and she’s not too sure what she should be expecting. At least she’ll get to see him soon, know that he’s doing ok. 

  

There are too many thoughts running through her head. How do you get someone to forgive you for your team almost giving them up to the enemy? What was the rest of the story Lincoln hadn’t fully explained to her the last time they met? Would he want to join shield still? Would she be able to convince him? Could she keep him safe if he joined? When had things gotten so complicated?

  

Walking up the steps from subway tunnels and she spots him. He’s trying to look inconspicuous playing on his phone, while sitting on a tiny bench with his backpack right next to him. She almost wants to laugh, but he looks somewhat lost, older almost. But then it strikes her, it’s just the stress that’s now showing on his face, and she wonders when he last slept through a night. 

  

He’s sitting with his jacket’s hood pulled up over his head, hand absently going into his hair while he stares at his phone. She can see that he’s got earphones in as she steps closer to him. He’s clearly distracted and deep in thought, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Dropping her duffle at his feet, she smiles as she waits for him to look up at her. He offers her a shy smile as he stands, putting his phone and earphones in his pocket. 

  

“Hey,” she says before pulling him into a hug. She struck with relief getting to see him, knowing that he made it out fine. For a moment she's scared she might have made things awkward, but his arms come up around her waist. “I’m happy you’re alright,” she speaks into the crook of his neck. They probably stay embraced for too long, but they’re drawing comfort from each other, both reluctant to let go.

 

“Hey,” he smiles back at her as they part, before teasingly saying, “I told you I was fine, didn’t I?” 

 

“It’s easier to believe like this,” she tells him and lets her words hang in the air. There's a pause as she takes in the fact that he looks alright, no signs of physical damage that she can see. He looks stressed, but like he might be better, back to normal, with a couple good meals and a good night’s rest. 

 

She picks up her duffle, unwilling to let the moment become awkward, she asks, “coffee? I haven’t had any today and everything feels like too much right now.” 

 

He laughs, tired, but happy non the less. “Let’s fix that then,” he replies throwing her a bright smile and shouldering his bag. He offers her his hand with a hesitant look in his eyes, not sure if he’s crossing a line because they haven’t actually talked about everything that happened the last time they got to see each other. His apprehension vanishes as she slips her hand in his. 

 

“Know any good places?” He asks her. She shrugs, but leads the way down the street knowing that she’ll run into a coffee shop before too long. 

 

 

* * *

  

They end up at Starbucks, too lazy to find a nicer place. As they’re waiting for their drinks, she watches him. His eyes are bouncing around the shop, he’s tense being around people she realizes. She's never seen him nervous before, unsure of himself, and it hits her that he's trying to figure out who he is back in the world now that Afterlife is gone. “Hey,” she says drawing his attention back to her as she reaches out to grab him hand, “as soon as we get our drinks we’ll get out of here.” 

 

“Thanks,” he replies with just barely a smile as he squeezes her hand lightly. 

 

It’s not long before their drinks are being set on the counter.  “So,” she starts grabbing hers. “When did you get in?”

  

“This morning,” he tells her as he holds the door open for her. He starts walking, with no clear destination in sight, just happy to get out of the coffee shop. 

 

“Any plans? I’ve got two days off of work. I didn’t really know what you’d be up to and what not.” She offers him a small smile, which he returns as they cross the street to the closest park. 

 

“Didn’t really have anything in mind. It’s easier to disappear and fade into the background in a bigger city, so I thought Chicago.” They find a bench to sit down on, before he continues, “plus I owe you pizza.” 

  

“Yes, pizza,” she laughs lightly, “the only reason I came to see you again.” 

  

“Of course,” he tells her with a small laugh, “I expected nothing less.” 

 

Now that she has time to focus on him, she can see that he looks exhausted. She scans his face and sees how his eyes are surrounded by dark circles, his hair is a mess from running his hands through it too often. In all honesty, she’s not sure if she expect anything less. They finish their coffee in a comfortable silence as they watch people pass by them.

 

“I got a hotel room around here somewhere,” she tells him, glancing towards him to gauge how he’ll react to what she says next. “I don’t know about you, but I’d love to get away from people, maybe grab a shower and a nap.” She’s hoping he’ll pick up on the fact that she’s not trying to be suggestive. It’s only that she doesn’t know how to help him without him telling her first, and this is the best she can think right now.

  

“Got room for another person?” He asks, his tone teasing, but also small, like he’s not sure if that’s what she’s offering or not. 

  

“Yeah.” She offers him her most reassuring smile, and stands up. 

 

* * *

 

She insists that he takes the first shower when they finally get settled into the room. There’s a deep dish pizza that they picked up on their way over that’s sitting on the small desk, and she’s flipping through the channels when he comes out of the bathroom. Leaving the TV on wherever it landed, she smiles at him as he sits next to her on the bed bringing the pizza with him. They eat mostly in silence, occasionally trading comments about the pizza or the show. It’s nice in a way that she hasn’t felt in a while, relaxed and content. 

 

After he’s been quiet for a little too long, she glances over to see him fast asleep. It must have finally caught up with him, his lack of sleep, she thinks. Reaching for the remote, she turns off the TV and sets the remainders of their lunch on the floor. She shakes his shoulder a little, “Lincoln, come on,” she whispers. He opens his eyes a little and swats at her hand. “You’re half on the bed, just get under the covers and get comfortable already,” she tells him as she herself snuggles down into bed.  

 

“Thanks,” he whispers to her, half awake, following her lead. 

  

“I’m really glad you’re ok, Lincoln,” she whispers as she closes her eyes, desperate to get some sleep for herself as well. She’s too tired to even register that this should feel awkward, falling asleep next to him. It’s not long before she drifts off to sleep herself. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horrible at it, but find me on tumblr? http://somethingsfandom.tumblr.com/


	3. Chapter 3

Lincoln wakes up slowly, comfortable in a way he hasn’t for a while. The warmth at his side seems strange and he realizes someone is lying beside him. There’s a moment of confusion before he remembers he’s with Daisy. Opening his eyes, he looks down at her. Apparently she’s a cuddler because she’s got an arm and leg draped around him, with her head resting on his chest. It’s been a long while since he’s fallen asleep with anyone next to him, but it’s comfortable in a way he’s missed. 

It seems funny that their positions are reversed now. When they met, she was the one that was a mess, figuring out how her power worked. Now he’s trying to find who he is without being a part of Afterlife, after losing a friend. He looks over at her and wonders how she’s doing, she seems fine at least. She’s clearly grown into using her powers now, but she’s still mostly the same person he met in Afterlife. At least, that’s what he can see on the surface, but he wonders how everything that happened with her parents has settled with her. 

They’d formed a fast friendship at Afterlife, one that he’s now happy for. As her transitioner, Lincoln only had to stay on the mountain top until Jiaying took over Daisy’s training, but he'd decided to stay longer. He’d stayed because of Daisy, they seemed to click. She was all kinds of quick wit, sarcastic humor, and he found it was nice to spend time with her. He wondered if she’s still all that, even while trying to find a place for people like them in her Shield world. 

There’s a clock on the bedside table blinking six pm, at him when he finally decides to check. They should probably wake up if they want to be able to sleep tonight, he hadn’t meant to fall asleep after lunch. He runs a hand through her hair slowly, saying her name softly trying to wake her up gently. Apparently she doesn’t enjoy waking up when she’s comfortable already, and he laughs softly under is breath at the way she bats his hand away. In a way, he’s surprised that instead of backing away from him she just snuggles closer. 

Complaints string out of her as she tries to stop him from making her move. She’s comfortable, and damn him for trying to change that. There really haven’t been many days, lately, when she can sleep in and wake slowly, and she wants to savor the moment.  “Lincoln,” she says softly and tries to burrow back into the bed, “come on, I never get days off. I’m comfortable. Let me sleep damnit.” She doesn’t apologize for how she’s trapped him in bed, and he’s happy that she doesn’t feel the need to. “I hope you know I’m not moving.” 

He laughs and allows her attempt to fall back to sleep before trying again. “Come on Daisy, we should go find some dinner, and get out of here for a little bit.” 

“Fine,” she agrees, slowly lifting her head from where she’s buried it in a pillow. “But only because you’re promising food.” She tells him slowly unraveling herself from him. She steps out of bed, and he follows behind her. “Take out?” She asks. 

  

* * *

 

“We should probably talk after we eat,” she tells his as they walk through a park by the Thai restaurant they’re waiting to pick up take out from. It’s turning into a quiet night, cold, but pleasant. They're just wondering around aimlessly, “you know, I haven’t been able to do this in years. If ever.”  

He glances at her, wondering what exactly she meant. “I haven’t taken a day off in ages,” she tells him, “all my friends are part of my team. I haven’t taken time off to just be. It’s nice to just be out and about. Even before I joined Shield, I couldn’t do this. I was hacking and hiding. Hell, it’s nice to be in street clothes.” She smiles at him and nudges his shoulder with hers, “it’s nice to not have to worry.” 

“Come on,” he tells her, ushering her towards the restaurant. “Food will probably be ready by the time we get back.” 

As they’re walking back she pulls her Shield phone from her pockets. “I’ve gotta check in. Sorry.” She’s throwing him a sheepish glance, and he can tell that she hates having to do this. 

“Go ahead,” he nods and watches as she reactivates her phone. 

Coulson answers right away. “Any problems?” 

“Hello to you too,” she answers, sarcastic as ever.  

“I’ll take that as everything’s going fine.”

“Yeah, how about over there?” She’s happy spending time with Lincoln, but she still worries about how things are going at the base.

“Nothing to worry about.” His quick reassurance is enough for her to push her worry to the back of her mind for now. 

“Alright, I’ll call tomorrow then.” She hangs up and disables her phone again quickly. At Lincoln’s curious glance she explains, “we agreed I had to check in once a day on my Shield phone. I get to keep it disabled until I get back, and the calls get to be short so no one can trace it.” She’s slipping her phone back in her pocket when she admits “that sounded awful paranoid didn’t it?” 

“Just a little,” he tells her, “but probably still a good idea.” He holds the door open for her, “Come on, let’s pick up our food.” 

 

* * *

 

“So how you are?” She asks him, keeping her eyes on the TV though she’s not really paying attention to what’s on. Their take out containers have been thrown away a while ago, and she’s just abandoned her book on the bedside table. She figures now’s a good a time to talk as any.  

“I’m—,” he starts. 

“And don’t say fine, Lincoln.” Her hand falls on his knee, but she doesn’t look at him. They’re not sitting far apart, a habit they seemed to have fallen into without realizing. She had a felling this conversation wouldn’t be easy for him. She didn’t want to make it harder by trying to get him to tell it all to her face. So she trains her eyes on the movie, wanting to let him decide how it would go. 

“I know you always put everyone else before yourself. But honestly, how are you really? It’s just me, you know I’m not going to think any less of you.” She means it, she’s not exactly sure when Lincoln became such a large part of her life, but she knows that he is. Him helping her in Afterlife, when she first changed and was so terrified, was something she could never repay. The fact that his worry had always been with how she was, rather than what her powers could do, had made him one of the first people she could trust with her worries. 

She can hear him shuffling slightly next to her, but his eyes don't leave the TV. It'll take tim for him to find words, she knows, so she’s patient. “You know, John was my sponsor?” He asks, but she doesn’t answer. “Before I joined Gordon and them in Afterlife, I was a mess. I don’t even remember what exactly I was doing with my life, but I do remember it being a disaster. One thing lead to another, and it took a while, but I realized I needed help. John was there for me during this really dark time of my life, he helped me through a lot, even talked me down from a ledge once. So I owe him, a lot, for getting me to a place I could be ok being at. But, it took a really long time for me to get there. 

“And he’s gone now, and that’s my fault.” He can tell she’s about to interrupt him, but doesn't give her a chance. “I know I didn’t exactly kill him. But I don’t want to be the reason he’s gone, and I am.” He tells her, staring down at his hands. “Accidents happen, I know that, but it doesn’t make him any less gone.”

It's true. But it's also true that there was no way he could have known it would turn out the way it had. It's silent for a while, before she decides to speak again. “He’s the reason you decided to become a transitioner, isn’t he?” She asks him, seems like he wants to help people the way John had helped him. “Makes sense,” she pauses before getting out of bed. “You were that for me, you know that right?” She asks him with a small smile as she squeezes his shoulder and walks away from him. 

It’s quiet again, almost heavy, and she can finally really see how he is. He’s holding on, because he knows he needs to, to be able to get through life right now. But he’s hurting, in a way she can’t fix no matter how much she wishes she could. Racking her mind, she tries to think of a way to help, but she feel hopeless, there isn’t much she can do. If it’d help, she’d remind him that it’s not his fault his friend is gone everyday for as long as he needed. But she knows that it won’t, at least not right now, the pain is still too fresh. 

The only thing she can think of has been sitting at the bottom of her bag. It was one of the first things she packed, and as she picks it up, she hopes it’ll have the desired effect. She walks back to him with it in hand. “Here,” she tells him as she places it into his lap.  

“Pop corn?” He asks her with a look of disbelief on her face as he picks up the packet of microwave popcorn. “Seriously?” 

She offers him a smile. “Yeah,” she sits down next to him. “Enough of the heavy shit,” she's offering him a warm smile, and a way out of his dark thoughts. He'll take it.

“Really, Daisy?” He’s already guessed what she’s going to try to get him to do, thinking back to a conversation they had on Afterlife about heating up food with his powers.  

“You can’t tell me it won’t make you feel better,” she tells him, nudging his shoulder.  

He offers her a small smile, but doesn’t tell her that she’s right. “If this explodes on us,” he says turning to face her. 

“Weren’t you the one trying to get me to experiment with my powers?” She smirks at him, a challenge in her eyes.  

“You just want to see if this will work.” He concedes.

It does. 

* * *

 

The fact that Daisy’s a cuddler should bother him more than it does, he realizes. But when they had crawled into bed and she’d once more draped herself over him, he’s pleased. After telling her about John, and then the popcorn, they’d surfed the channels, exchanging stories. It was nice to around her, it felt safe, and he found that she hadn’t lost the playful side of herself as her job had gotten more serious with Shield. They’d drifted off late, still not having talked about his plans to joining her or not. It reminds him that she’s here to see him, getting him to join her quest for helping their kind is just secondary. 

He wakes up when she moves away from him in her sleep. It takes a minute for his mind to register that she’s twitching slightly, mumbling something under her breath. When he turns to face her, he can see her face scrunched up, her hands clenched in fists at her side, and the bed’s shaking just slightly. The soft whimpered, “mom, please, don’t do this,” is what has his reaching out and shaking her shoulder lightly. 

Her eyes fly open. Then she’s sitting up, eyes darting around the room trying to get her bearings, and he backs away from her, giving her space. He waits for her to come back, for her shoulders to lose their tension, the bed to stop trembling as she reins in her powers. When she releases a long sigh, he reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, you ok?” He asks waiting for her to tell him what she needs him to do. 

She brings her knees up and rests her head on them while glancing over at him. “Do you ever think about that day?” 

He can tell she’s deliberately being vague, but figures she just needs someone else to talk for a while. Leaning against the headboard he answers her, “yeah, sometimes. Honestly, I’m not sure I even know what happened for the most part. I’m trying not to think about it too much.”  

“Me too,” she whispers back at him. Her tone makes him think they avoid thinking about that day for different reasons, and it hits him how small she sounds, vulnerable and tired. “Did you ever know how my mom’s power worked?” 

It’s a strange question, he thinks but answers anyhow, “she can heal with time?” Something in the way she asked made him doubt that he knew everything.

“Yeah, she could heal with time,” she starts, it’s still something that weighs heavy on her, the memories of that day. She takes a deep breath before continuing, “by taking someone else’s life force.” 

 She pauses rubbing a hand across her eyes and she tries to find her words. “Guess her power was one of those things that needed a transfer, it wasn’t something that just happened. I really don’t know how all this inhuman stuff works yet. In the end, when she wouldn’t give me the crystals, and I won’t just let her go, she tried to drain me. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I went to try to stop her. I really didn’t want to believe she could go through with her plan, I mean she was my mom, leader of our people. She was meant to protect us. All I know is that Cal saved me by killing her, and I pushed the crystals into the ocean because I couldn’t think of another way of stopping her plan.” 

She shifts so she’s sitting next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wraps an arm around her waist, and thinks back to that day. Her story has filled in most of the parts he was missing from that day. At least all the important ones, and he wonders if she’s had a chance to really talk to anyone about it all yet.  “I have to fix this Lincoln, I pushed the crystals into the ocean, and now all these inhumans are showing up everywhere and it’s just a mess.” She says with a sigh. “I have to make this better, since I can’t make it right.” 

 “It’s not your fault,” he tells her, even though he knows she won’t believe him. Just like he knows if their positions were reversed, he wouldn’t believe her. It’s what she needs to hear though. 

She doesn’t cry, but it’s clear she’s done talking. Instead she just pulls him down onto the bed next to her and barrows into his side. Comfort’s something he can give her, he thinks as he waits for her breathing to even out as she falls asleep. He’s still running a hand up and down her back when she drifts off, and he thinks about how they’re both a mess right now. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to give Lincoln too much of a back story, mostly because I really want to see how they handle it on the show.  
> Find me on tumblr here? somethingsfandom.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

 

They wake up slowly, Daisy clearly not wanting to leave bed, ever. Lincoln teases her, already fully awake by the time she started stirring. Somehow in the night they’ve moved so they’re spooning, and as he tries to get up, she pulls his arm back around her, stopping him. 

 

“We’ve can’t just stay here all day.” He tells her, smile on his face as he gets to see this side of her. She looks peaceful, the lines of worry vanished from her face. 

 

“Watch me.” She answers tired, and he laughs. 

 

“Come on Daisy,” he presses a kiss in her hair and once again tries to pull his arm out of hers. She sighs and lets him escape. “I’m gonna hop in the shower and give you a couple more minutes of sleep.” 

 

As he walks away she pulls the covers up further and buries her head under the pillow. She curses him for waking up, but when she sees the clock she guesses 11  was as good a time as any. Hearing the water start to run, she steps out of bed to rummage through her bag for clothes. She thinks back to what she told him last night, after the nightmare she’d been having too frequently now, something she hadn’t felt comfortable telling anyone else yet. 

 

That’s how he finds her, staring down at the shirt and jeans she’s holding in her hands, thoughts taking her far away. “Hey,” he says and she looks up quickly. “Your turn,” She offers him a small smile as she goes to take a shower. 

 

When she exits the bathroom later, she’s feeling more like herself, ready to figure out something they can do with their day. He’s sitting on the edge of a bed, reading a book. She notices that he looks a little better today, like the sleep and talking have helped, and it makes her smile. He puts the book down and looks up at her. 

 

That’s when she realizes “are you wearing a pikachu shirt?” He answers her with a laugh. “You know, I think this is why bad shit happens to us. We just aren’t subtle at all, I mean Pikachu, really?” 

 

“You’ve gotta admit, it’s kinda funny.” She can’t deny him that, as much as she wants to, she lets out a laugh. “See."

 

“I’ll give you that.” She smiles as she pulls on her shoes. “Come on.” 

 

* * *

  

They spend the day running around the city, catching trains, and just trying to forget their worries. It’s comfortable in a way that reminds her of something she’s missed since joining Shield. She’s missed being able to walk around, not worrying about the other inhumans, or about the world. It’s just the two of them, and she wonders if he’ll want to join them on their shield adventures. They’ve been avoiding the conversation, she can tell. But she’ll be leaving to go back to the team tomorrow afternoon , and he’d either be with her, or holding her exit bag. She hopes it’s the former. 

 

It’s nice though, spending the day with him. The whole days is filled with light conversation, small stories traded back and forth. After the heavy talks yesterday, it seems like what they needed. They take a stroll through the zoo, walk along the beach, and it’s nice. 

 

She’s reminded of why she likes Lincoln as they walk side by side, he’s more than willing to follow her lead, but will challenge her to be better. He'll challenge her to think better of herself. Even if it’s a little dimmed right now, he holds hopes for a place for the inhumans in the world. He’s able to keep up with her humor, and gives as good as he gets. It’s refreshing. His presence is a comfort to her though, and she knows that he’ll be there for her in anyway he can. 

 

As they exit the L station, she calls Coulson again to check in.

 

“Hey, everything good?” He asks when he picks up. 

 

“Yeah, it’s been nice.” She answers him, placing over at Lincoln. 

 

“Are we picking up one or two of you tomorrow ?” Coulson asks the question she’s been wondering about. 

 

She looks at Lincoln standing beside her as she answers the question. “I don’t know yet. We’re gonna work that out tonight.” Lincoln glances at her and offers her a small, timid smile, able to guess what she's referring to. 

 

Seeming to understand that she can't give him the answer, Coulson tells her. “Alright, tomorrow, noon , at the airport. Reactivate your phone when you’re on the way in, May will pick you up from where she dropped you off.”

 

“Got it, see you then.” She ends the call and puts her phone away after disabling it again. 

 

“I guess we need to have that take we’ve kind of been avoiding.” Lincoln tells her with a soft smile while worrying his hands nervously. 

 

* * *

 

 

The walk back to the hotel is short, they keep glancing nervously between each other. Neither seem willing to break the calm that has fallen over them from their day. It’s almost as if, when the conversation starts, the relaxed happiness of the day will go away. She’s nervous, doesn’t want to give up getting to spend time with him. 

 

It's been nice getting time away from the team, something she feels slightly guilty for. Lincoln knows what it means to be inhuman right now, and he’s felt the same betrayal she did when her mom lead them astray. It’d be easier to get through everything that is happening if she had him by her side. 

 

She breaks the silence as they enter their hotel room again. “Now’s a good a time as any,” she says with a sigh as they sat down. “You first, or me first?” 

 

“You,” he says moving so they’re sitting across from each other. “I’ve been thinking it over, but….”

 

He’s paused for too long, clearly not able to find words, and an awkward silence falls over them. As she's trying to form her thoughts into coherent words, she worries her hands together in her lap, chewing on her bottom lip. It's only Lincoln, she really doesn't need to be as worried as she is, and she knows this. It's something big though, something potentially life altering.  “I’d still like it if you’d join. I like spending time with you, it’s comforting. It’s nice having someone around who's been through what I've been through with Afterlife. If you still want it, there’s a spot on the team for you." 

 

She reaches out to squeeze his hand softly before continuing, "I’m not going to say anything that I haven’t already told you before. But you shouldn't join us just because you're out of options, or just because I want you to. I've brought everything with me to erase you from records everywhere. I could give you a fresh start if you'd rather have that. Plus Shield and the ATCU have come to an agreement to leave you alone. But in all honestly, I won't lie and say I haven't enjoyed having you around.” The admission leaves her mouth before she can think about what she’s saying. She finds that she doesn’t regret it like she thought she would. 

 

“It’s been nice, hasn’t it?” he says nudging her with his shoulder. 

 

“It has,” she smiles. Cradling his hand between hers, she tells him, “look, you don’t have to decide now. You can take however long you want to make your choice. You can think of whatever parameters you’d want me to give Coulson, whatever would make joining the team easier for you. Try it out and leave if you don’t like it. Whatever works for you.” 

 

There’s a pause, and she respects the silence that has fallen over him as he being lost in his own thoughts. She doesn’t push him to talk it through, simply just gets up and walks over to her bag pulling at the book she’s been reading. As she walks by him, she places a hand on his shoulder before walking past him and curling up with her book.  He sits at the edge of the bed getting lost in thought while she reads. Long minutes pass before he turns to look at her and see her lost in her book. She looks calm, peaceful almost, in a way he’s not sure if he’s ever seen before. 

 

In those moments, he wonders if he can trust her team. He already knows that he trusts her, knows that she’ll have his back, that she’ll help him out of whatever he gets into. It’s a nice thought, one that he’s missed having since Afterlife. It’d be nice to spend more time with her, be able to help his people when they get brought into Shield and understand what exactly their plans are for them. It'll give him the same sense of purpose he had found in his life during Afterlife. Plus, he's not all that sure what he'd do with his life if he had a clean slate. He walks around to the bed, grabbing his book, and crawling in beside her. She looks over and smiles at his as he slides in next to her. 

 

* * *

 

It’s quite a while later when they’re finally turning the lights off, settling in for the night. He’s not sure if his prolonged silence will have changed anything between them. Not sure if he chose to leave the team if they wouldn't keep in touch. He doubts it, but it's still a worry. In a way, he's gotten used to having her around, having someone to lean on. He's almost nervous as they walk around the room getting ready to sleep. 

 

They’re lying down on their sides facing each other waiting to drift off to sleep, and he reaches out a hand to brush a strand of her hair off of her face. “I meant what I said before,” he tells her and waits for her to meet his eyes, “I’ll join to work with you, but I don’t know Shield and I can’t trust them. Not yet.” 

 

“Fair enough,” she tells him, “we’ll figure it out together, remember?” 

 

“Sounds good.” He tells her, reaching out at pulling her tight to his side. After placing a kiss on her forehead he tells her, “sleep.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fine me on tumblr? somethingsfandom.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

 

Daisy sleeps through the night, something that’s unusual these days. It’s too early to be awake when she wakes, but she’s too anxious about today, heading back to Shield with Lincoln, to go back to sleep. He’s curled up around her, and it takes her a couple of moments to get herself untangled from him. When she does she heads to take a shower, to clear her head of anxiety and get ready for the day.  

He’s got his face in a pillow, reaching an arm out to her as she walks from the bathroom and closer to the bed. “What time is it?” He asks her, pulling her to sit down next to him where he’s still lying down. 

“Seven,” she answers quickly ruffling his hair. Briefly she wonders if this is how she looked yesterday morning. Comfortable, tired, almost childish. 

“It’s too early to be awake,” he’s pulling at her hand again, trying to get her to join him. “Come back to bed.” 

 “Lincoln,” she insists quietly, but she can’t really find a reason he needs to be awake as well. One of them should get enough sleep. 

“What time do we need to leave to get to the airport time?” He’s looking at her with tired, pleading eyes, hoping the answer is not for a couple of hours. 

“Like 10?” 

“More sleep,” he insists, once again, this time pulling her down to lie next to him. 

“Fine,” she lies down getting comfortable. “I’m setting an alarm,” he waits until she’s put her phone down before pulling her flush against him. 

“Fine,” he says back as he nuzzles into the back of her neck. He’s drifting back to sleep and doesn’t even register that he’s placed a kiss into the back of her neck, until he’s done just that.

There’s a small tense pause before he breaks it with a whispered, “I guess we should talk about this?” 

She intertwines her hand with his on her stomach before bringing his hand up to press a kiss into his palm. “Later, sleep first," is all she answers him. She falls back to sleep with a smile on her face. 

 

* * *

 

He’sjust walking back into the room after a shower when she wakes up again. Sitting down in front of her, he waits till she wakes up a little more. It doesn’t take too long with the impending conversation hanging in the air. She sits up beside him, rubs her eyes and looks over at him. 

“Hey,” she whispers quietly, “we don’t have to talk about it now. We’ve got time,” she reminds him. After all he is joining her in Shield, there will be plenty of times of have this talk. She leans back into his chest as she waits for him to decide if he really wants to talk about this now. 

“No,” he tells her as he rests his head on hers, “we probably should.” He sounds hesitant as he tells her this and she smiles at him being shy.

“I said we’d figure it out together, I meant it," she tells him. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, I know things are a little too complicated right now and it’s a lot to deal with. We’re both kind of a mess.” She gives him her best comforting smile and waits for him to speak. 

“Yeah,” he whispers in response. He reaches out for her hand and intertwines their fingers. “I’m not really good at this.” It’s a quiet confession, one that kind of breaks her heart.  

“Neither am I,” she tells him gently. “How about we just go with what feels right, and keep talking about it?” It's open ended, something that just might work with where they are right now. "You know I care about you, right?" He nods in response, a smile on his face. 

"Me too, for you," he whispers and she offers him a smile as well. "How long until we have to leave?”  

The change in conversation is noticeable, but she doesn’t call him on it. Honestly, it feels like they’ve had too many serious conversations in these two days. “Well, if we want to eat at some point before flying back to the base, we should get out of here soon.” She stands up and tugs at his hand gently until he’s standing next to her. “Come on,” she tells him before she starts walking around the room to pack up her stuff. Following her lead, he begins to pack as well.  

They’re ready fast. She looks back at the room she’s spent the last couple of days in, almost sad that it’s ending. “I need to take time off more often,” she tells him as they walk out of the room. 

“You know,” he tells her with a teasing smile, “all this talk of never having any time off isn’t making my any more excited to join your team.”  

“Well, it definitely is a downside, but I’ve never asked for a day off before anyhow,” she tells him as they walk down the hall. “The team’s pretty cool though, once you get to know them.” 

“And how long will that take?” He asks as they step into the elevator. 

“Could take a while,” she answers honestly. “Thanks for joining me,” she tells him honestly before pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and running out of the opening elevator doors when they reach the first floor. 

“Come on,” she yells at him, already walking out of the hotel while he’s still standing shocked in the elevator. 

* * *

 

They don't talk about it, but it's not awkward. Both of them wear shy smiles as they walk towards the L station. As they settle next to each other on the subway, Daisy leans against him, and they start their journey back to Shield. Though Daisy is happy to be on her way back home, she can tell he’s hesitant over returning with her. It’s something she can’t fault him for after everything that has happened.

Letting the silence pass between them, she pulls out her Shield phone and reactivates it. She quickly sends Coulson a text saying they’re both on their way, and will be at the airport on time. Once she’s done, she wonders what she can do to take his mind off of how drastically his life is about to change. 

She’s happy that he trusts her enough to follow her and hopes that trust won’t be misplaced when it comes to the rest of the team. They’re a good bunch of people, but it takes a while to find a place within them. She remembers how it felt, being the new member of the team, and feels bad for the fact that he will soon feel the way she did. 

“Hey,” she whispers to him, looking up to catch his attention. “Try not to worry,” it’s impossible, and she knows it, but it seemed like the right thing to say. 

He nods at her, offering a small smile. “Talk, be distracting,” he tells her, and she laughs while trying to think of something to say. 

“Oddest thing you’ve done with your powers, tell me.” It was the first thing that came to mind that seemed like a safe option.  

“Does levitating you count?” He asks her, full smile now across his face. 

“I guess I’ll give you that,” she tells him with a smile. “Did I tell you about the time Jiaying taught me about my powers with water glasses?” At a shake of his head, she tells him the story. 

For the rest of the train ride they trade stories. She tells him of pranking Fitz occasionally with her powers when he had been in a good mood. He tells her stories of driving Gordon crazy by starting an Afterlife wide prank war. She wishes she had been able to see that side of Afterlife. From the stories he’d told her, she surely had missed the good parts of living in Afterlife.  

By the time they’re walking towards the quinjet, he seems happier, if still a little nervous about what he’s getting himself into. “So,” she says turning to him before they walk on the plane. “May’s kind of quiet and intimidating all the time. Don’t take it personally if she ignores you completely for months. She did that to me when I joined.”  

She waits for him to nod then leads the way onto the jet, tossing her bag down and motioning for Lincoln to do the same. She motions towards May before leaving him to go say hi. 

"Hey,” she says leaning down to be at level with May. “Anything happen while I was away?”  

“It was quiet,” May answers her before hitting the controls, “you can ask Coulson when we get in.” Daisy just nods and walks back to sit down beside Lincoln.  

“It shouldn’t be too long of a flight to get back to base.” Daisy tells him. 

“Alright," he answers her as he looks around taking in the jet. 

“I guess I should probably give you an idea of what you’re getting into?” She asks him and straps in before they take off. 

“Might be good,” he tells her as he buckles in. 

“Alright, so you’ve met Coulson. Usually he’s great, does what he thinks is right and all that. He’s kind of over protective of the whole team. Sorry about that again." 

 Lincoln just waves her off and waits for her to continue. "Hunter is fun, he’s kind of the jokester of the group almost. He’s off right now trying to find Ward to get him back for hurting Bobbi. Bobbi is kind of having a hard time right now being injured. She’s a great fighter though, quick witted and smart." 

 Pausing for a moment, Daisy tries to think of how to describe the rest of the team, "Simmons just came back from the monolith, we’re not really sure what’s going on with her right now. She was gone a really long time and hasn’t adjusted to being back yet. I get a feeling though, if she gets back to where she used to be, you guys will be good friends. She’d love to pick your brain about inhuman biology, she’s super curious." 

 "How is she?" He asks her. 

 "I really don't know," Daisy admits before continuing. "Then there's Fitz. He’s great, hopefully better now that Simmons is back. He’s our tech guy, but had a rough time while Simmons was gone. We’re kind of just waiting for that all to settle down. He was the one who had the easiest time getting used to me having powers though." She tells him with a small smile. 

 "That leaves Mack, who is super untrusting of anything alien and inhuman, he’s probably going to try to give you hell. He’s a great guy deep down, but he’s just had too many bad encounters for him to be relaxed. It’ll take a while for him to come around to you.” 

 She turns to him and offers him a big smile, "that should be everyone." He nods in response and they both get lost in their own thoughts as they wait to get to the base. 

  

* * *

 

When they get in the rest of the team is out. May sets off her own way as soon as they arrive. As Daisy glances around at the empty hallways, she’s happy that the base is so quiet when they get in. “Come on,” she tells Lincoln as begins to walk towards her room. “I don’t really know if we’ve got arrangements, or plans for today, so we might as well get settled in.” 

 As they walk she points out different things that he should know, not sure how much of his last trip at the base he remembers. “When they get back we should probably talk to Coulson, figure things out.” She tells him as they stop in front of her room. “Here, just take the room next to mine, no one’s had it for months,” she pushes her door open and throws her bag onto the bed before closing it again. 

 Pushing the door open to the room next to hers, she waits for him to go in first. “It’s not much,” she tells him from her place at the door as he walks around. 

 “It’s enough,” he tells her and she can admit that he’s right, it’s better than a lot of other places she’s lived.  


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

 It was clearly something small, she realizes when the team returns to the base unscathed. When Coulson see her, he motions for her to follow. “You’re back," he says as she falls into step beside him. 

 “Yeah,” she tells him as they walk towards his office. 

 He pushes the door open and gestures for her to enter first. “Tell me about your trip.”

 “Want me to go get Lincoln? I think he’s unpacking,” she asks, gesturing towards the door. 

 “You tell me about it first,” he tells her as he starts to get situated in his office again. 

 “It was nice, we just hung out and walked around Chicago.” She smiles as she answers and sits down in a chair across from his. "I needed it," she tells him honestly. 

 He smiles at her, registering how much more relaxed and happy she looks. “And Lincoln?”

 “He’s going to join us, he might have some restrictions. I think he wants to see how things are going to be for people like us.”

 Coulson nods in understanding, "How is he?”

 “Kind of a mess, but no worse than I was right after Afterlife.” It's a small admission, a comparison she wishes she didn't have, but it's accurate. Lincoln's confused, hurt, and trying to figure out his place, just like she had been after Afterlife. 

 “Alright,” he gives her a long look. 

 “What?” She asks, suspicious of his silence and stare. 

 “Is it going to be a problem having him here working with us?” He's looking at her with open concern. 

 “What do you mean?” She asks, not really sure she wants to have this conversation with Coulson. 

 “Come on, Daisy. It’s clear you care for him.” There's a small smirk on his face as he tells her this, as if it's been obvious to everyone around. 

 She sighs, running a hand over her face, before answering, admitting that she probably has been transparent. “We talked about it. It’ll be fine," she assures him. 

 “Alright, well get him to come talk to me about joining the team then.”

 She nods and leaves Coulson’s office to go find Lincoln.

 

* * *

 Daisy knocks on Lincoln’s door calling out his name. “Hey, Coulson wants to talk to you.”

 “Alright,” he answers as he opens the door. He falls into step next to her as they walk back towards Coulson’s office. While they walk she can feel the nervous energy come rolling off Lincoln, he keeps running his hands through his hair, glancing around as they walk down the halls. For the most part, they've been left alone today, but that will soon change. 

 “Want me to come with you?” She asks, unsure of how comfortable Lincoln will be with everyone here, especially with Coulson after the ATCU. 

 "It'll be fine," he answers knocking on Coulson's door, waiting for the invitation before offering her a small smile and stepping in a closing the door behind him. 

Looking at the closed door, she hopes that their conversation will go well. For a moment, she considers waiting until their conversation is finished. But, she’s sure they will be reasonable and civil. So glances at the door one more time. Then she's off, walking down the halls, to greet the rest of the team. As she walks she realizes that she's missed this too. She's missed her friends. 

 

* * *

 There's tension in the air as Lincoln walks into the office. "Please sit," Coulson tells him as he motions at a chair in front of the desk. 

Lincoln sits, not really sure how to start. But, apparently, he doesn't have to because Coulson starts as soon as he sits down. "First let me apologize for what happened with the ATCU. I'm sure Daisy already told you the circumstances surrounding that, and my team is always my first concern. But I do regret how it turned out." 

Lincoln nods his understanding as Coulson looks up at him again. In a way it's almost easier for him that Coulson is so straight forward. "Daisy mentioned you were thinking about joining our team," Coulson prompts and it hangs in the air. 

Lincoln's a little hesitant before he starts speaking, not sure how it'll be received. "Not the Shield team but Daisy's, the inhuman one. I'm not sure I trust Shield enough and I want to see what is happening to my people." 

Looking up he sees that Coulson's face is blank, "fair enough," Coulson answers before continuing. "Daisy mentioned that on Afterlife you were a transitioner and a doctor of sorts." Lincoln nods and Coulson continues, "tell me about it," and so he does. 

It takes a while, but soon Lincoln and Coulson have worked out a rough agreement. Lincoln would work on Daisy's team, by her side. Before he's allowed to join on missions he'd have to go through training for field work. He’s not sure how he feels about having to go through training, but he knows it’s how things work. In a sense, he'd answer to Daisy, but sometimes he'd have to answer to Coulson as well. Mostly, Lincoln would help with the recruiting and medical side of things, until everything smoothed out a little more and trust grew. 

Just as they’re wrapping up Daisy walks in. Coulson glances at her before continuing his conversation with Lincoln, "about there being a way out for you if you didn't want to stay with us, I'm pretty sure this one here's already figured all that out for you three months ago." 

 Daisy offers a shy smile, "alright, so I did." She admits, but doesn’t apologize, "it's what I'm good at, being a paranoid hacker. If you don't want to stay, I can erase your existence." She tells Lincoln with a small smile. “No records with ACTU, none with Shield, nowhere else. Whatever you want.” 

 "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Coulson tells the both of them. "Alright, get out, we'll get started on all of this tomorrow."

 Coulson stand up and offers Lincoln his hand, “welcome to the team.” They shake hands before Lincoln and Daisy walk out of the office to get on with the rest of their day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the great comments and such!   
> One more chapter to go, probably up by the end of the week.   
> Come find me on tumblr? somethingsfandom.tumblr.com


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

 

The rest of the day finds Daisy and Lincoln searching out and meeting the others on the team. Mostly, it’s a series of awkward smiles and welcome to the teams, everyone knows who Lincoln is, but no one’s really too sure of how him joining is going to change the team. Daisy stays by his side throughout the introductions, but mostly everyone is too busy with their own projects to spend much time with them. Daisy shows him where they train with their powers, and where he’ll be doing his training with May. 

It’s getting early in the evening when Daisy drags him out of his room, “Lincoln, trust me.” She’s got a large smile on her face, pulling on his hand gently, while walking towards the rec room. He remembers her pointing it out before, and isn’t exactly looking forward to join whoever is in there. “It’ll be fine,” she tells him with a smile. 

As they walk closer he can hear laughter and cursing flowing out from the room. Daisy laughs and lets go of his hand while she walks into the room. For a moment, he stays standing there looking at the team he’s about to join. There’s a round of Mario Kart going that’s clearly got most of the team worked up. He smiles at the team that’s clearly become pretty tight knit over time.  

This side of the team is something he never would have thought he could see, they’re all bickering with each other sipping beers and they seem relaxed. Hunter, Mack, Bobbi, and Fitz are sitting in front of the TV yelling at the screen and each other. Simmons is sitting on a couch curled up with a book, occasionally glancing up and smiling at the rest of the team. May’s in the corner talking quietly with Coulson as they look on the team with small smiles, shaking their heads sometimes when the team gets too rowdy. Daisy smiles up at him from her seat on the couch and motions at the empty spot next to her. 

Walking in, Lincoln takes a seat next to Daisy and offers her a small smile. No one really acknowledges him as he sits, and he’s grateful, content to just watch the craziness ensue in front of him. Settling into the space next to her, he lets the sounds of the relaxed atmosphere surround him. She looks over at him and offers him a beer. He grimaces as he answers her with a small smile, “I don’t really drink anymore.” When she realizes what he’s referring to, it’s not something he really wants to talk about, ever. “But, you should,” he tells her, nudging her knee with his before looking back at the team in front of him. 

As the round ends, Hunter turns around at offers him the remote, “you want to play a round mate?” Lincoln nods his head in thanks and takes the remote to join in the nights activities. 

It’s an interesting evening to say the least. Joining in on the Mario Kart tournament certainly makes it easier to get to know the rest of Daisy’s team. It’s nice with everyone relaxed, enjoying each other’s company, and it makes him feel more settled in his choice to join them. It’s clear that even though they’re all working through their own problems, they rely and trust each other. Maybe joining Shield won’t be so bad. 

 

* * *

  

Daisy and Lincoln had parted ways at the end of the night, and as he tosses and turns trying to find sleep, he thinks about the day. Joining and meeting the team hadn’t been too bad, there had been tense moments but it seemed to go well. It had been pretty on pare with what Daisy had explained to him, with Mack and May being more reserved.

He’s been trying to sleep for, at least, the last two hours, but it had been too quiet in his room. It seemed weird not to have Daisy there with him after getting used to having her around. This place is new though, and it makes him uncomfortable. He keeps staring at the ceiling, letting his thoughts run. Conceding to the fact that he probably won’t get to sleep for a long time, he gets out of bed and pads over to her door. 

Not giving himself the opportunity to back out, he knocks quietly on her door, hoping not to wake her if she’s already asleep. She opens the door and looks up at him, “couldn’t sleep?” She guesses. He just nods and she opens the door further allowing him to walk in behind her. “I couldn’t either, kinda strange being back,” she admits.   

“It’s too quiet here,” he tells her as he sits down next to her. “Plus, it’s a new place and I’m still kind of adjusting to not being on the run.” 

“Well, I was watching cartoons if you wanna join me?” She tells him with a smile.  

“Sure,” he responds and looks over at her small laptop screen.  

She pulls back the blankets on her bed and gestures at him until he joins her under the covers. Once their both lying down, Lincoln pulls her back to his front and presses a kiss onto the top of her head. “They’re not that bad, you know,” he tells she softly. 

“This show?” She asks, “yeah it great.”  

“No, your team,” he tells her after a small laugh, “they clearly care about you a lot.” 

“Yeah, it’s nice,” she tells him. 

That’s how they fall asleep, Daisy not even bothering to get him to go back to his own room. In the short amount of time they’ve become something, it just feels right. There’s still some hesitation about how it is all going to go, but he feels like it might not be such a bad thing if he gets to spend more time with her. 

 

* * *

  

In the morning when they wake up, Daisy smiles over at Lincoln who is still impossibly close to her. She releases a sigh of relief at how well the introductions went with yesterday. It’s comforting to have him here. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!  
> Thanks so much to everyone who's commented and such. I've really had fun getting back into writing fanfic after all these years with this story.   
> I also wrote this chapter before the last episode had aired, which is why Mack isn't all that inviting when Lincoln joins.   
> Anyhow, come find me on tumblr? somethingsfandom.tumblr.com


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